The Mission and Ronaldo Blast a “Vapor Trail” for Nike

Creative director Rob Trent and Venice, CA visual effects shop The Mission grant soccer god Cristiano Ronaldo new gale force powers with this :60 out of the Portland and Tokyo offices of Wieden+Kennedy.

Rob Trent: “Ronaldo’s skill was amazing. The coach quickly broke down the desired blocking for him and he just took the footwork to a new level when the cameras rolled. We had just watched him at his home stadium the night before against Germany and he really brought the electricity from there to our set.

“Shot in Madrid with Phantom cameras, the team utilized two sets for the surreal ‘diorama’ field: both were the same size, but one was flat and the other was pitched 20º to put all the action on a decline. The entire stage was bluescreen.

“For the speed vortex; confetti, smoke, water, glass and other debris with wind were shot separately to be composited with athletes later. Stunt men and fence pieces were flying continuously during the shoot to create the desired effect. The platform was Astroturf, which The Mission enhanced and extended, then added the earthen cross-section. Additional confetti and smoke were created in Maya with the ‘glitchy’ perimeter board designed and fabricated in Flame.”